Variable-speed gearing



July 23, 194-0. w, H, w L s 2,209,010

VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING Filed March 23, 1939 71UNTED STATES ENT Uil Patented July 23, 1940 William Henry Wallis, Huddersfield. England Application March 23,

1939, Serial N0. 263,754

2 Claims.

My invention relates to variable-speed gearing, particularly for automobiles, of the kind having co-axial driving and driven shafts.

Anobject of the invention is to provide a very compact, rigid and silent-running arrangement whereby five or more forward speeds and one or more. reverse speeds can be obtained without the use of any auxiliary gearbox.

' A further object is to provide a construction or arrangement which does not necessitate the employment of shaft-supporting bearings other than end-wall bearings.

I-have shown in the accompanying drawing a variable-speed gear according to the invention cbnstructed to afford five forward speeds and a reverse drive.

Fig. 1 shows the gear in plan;

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the primary gear train employed in the gearing;

Fig. 3 isa' diagram showing the third and fifth speed gear train;

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the first, second and reverse speed gear train; and

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a modification which may be adopted of the reverse drive arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a is a driving shaft journalled in the wall of a casing b and having fast upon it a toothed primary drive pinion c which is constantly in mesh with a toothed primary drive gear d fast upon a layshaft e hereinafter referred to as the slow-speed layshaft. The shaft e is journalled at its ends in the casing b and extends parallel to the axis of the driving shaft (1.

Loose upon the slow speed layshaft e are a toothed pinion j and a toothed gear g which are in constant mesh respectively with a toothed gear h and a toothed pinion 2 fast upon a secondary or driven shaft 7' co-axial with the driving shaft a. The driven shaft is journalled at its inner,

end in a recess a in the end of the driving shaft a and at its outer end in the casing 12.

Meshing constantly with the primary drive gear at is an intermediate toothed gear is which is fast upon a reverse shaft m journalled at its ends in the casing 12 and extending parallel to the driving shaft a and slow-speed layshaft e. A pinion m slidable on splines on the shaft m is adapted to be slid into engagement with the gear 72. on the driven shaft 9'.

Meshing constantly with the intermediate toothed gear la is a toothed primary drive pinion n fast upon a layshaft o hereinafter referred to as the fast-speed layshaft, the said shaft being (Cl. 74-331) I v journalled at its ends in the casing b and extending parallel to the driving shaft a,"slow-speed layshaft e and reverse shaft m. i i i Loose upon the fast-speed-layshaft-o are a toothed pinion p and a toothed gear-r which are a respectively in constant mesh with the toothed gear h! and the toothed pinion i on the driven Shaft 1 Slidable on a splined portion e of the slow" speed layshaft is a clutch member s by means of which either the toothed pinion i or thetoothed gear y can be clutched to the" said slow-speed layshaft, and slidable on a splined portion"o"*of the fast-speedlayshaft 0 is a clutch member s by means of which either the toothed pinion-p or the toothed gear 1' canbe clutched to the said fast-speed layshaft. "j l i Slidable on a splined portion of the driven -shaft 9' is a clutch member t'by means of which the said shaft can be clutched to the primary drive pinion c.

The primary drive gears d and n are of different pitch diameters so that the layshaftse and 0 will revolve at relatively different speeds for all speeds of the primary shaft a, this ratio of layshaft speed being a predetermined factor. Different speed ratios are thus obtained from similar sized gear wheels on each layshaft.

To obtain fifth forward speed the gear 1 is clutched to the fast-speed layshaft o by means of the clutch member s.

Fourth speed is obtained by a direct drive occasioned by sliding the clutch member t into engagement with the primary drive pinion 0.

Third speed is obtained by clutching the gear wheel g to the slow-speed layshai't e. Providing the gears r and g are of the same pitch circle diameter, the ratio of the fifth speed to the third will be the same as that of the speed of the fastspeed layshaft to the speed of the slowspeed layshaft.

Second speed is obtained by clutching the pinion 10 to the layshaft o and first speed by clutching the pinion] to the layshaft e.

Reverse drive is obtained by sliding the pinions m into engagement with the gear 71. fast on the driven shaft 7'.

As an alternative to the reverse drive arrange ment shown in Fig. 1 the pinion m may, see Fig. 5, be loose upon the shaft m2 and remain constantly in mesh with the gear h, clutch members m on the said pinion being adapted to be moved into engagement with clutch members It on the gear lc when reverse drive is required.

It Will be seen from Fig. 1 that the construction of each layshaft e or o is similar to that of an orthodox three-speed gear box, therefore the overall length of a five-speed gear box according to my invention is as short as that of a threespeed gear box of orthodox single-layshaft design and of equal load capacity.

The inclusion of syncro-mesh units for third, fourth and fifth speeds, if required, necessitates less'additional length than would be the case in a single-layshaf t-gear box due to the fact that the third and fifth speed gear wheels are mounted on different layshafts.

Owing to the shortness of the layshafts rigidity and consequent silence, which arethe main objects of the invention, are obtained, and relatively thin shafts are permissible. gidity of the third and fifthspeed gear wheels is obtained due to the said wheels being located adjacent the end wall bearings of their layshafts.

It will be observed that eleven toothed gears only are used; in-afive-speed gear box according totheiinvention, I do, not confine myself to the use of either solid or tubular layshafts or to any particular. method of mounting or fastening the gear Wheelashafts,bearings and; the like used inggnstructing lmy, improved; Variable-speed gear. Having; thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters atent s: n

1 3511 11 3, variable; -s1; eed gear, aprimary driving sha a second driven-shaft co-axial with the primarwshaft, two, laysha-fts and areverse shaft connected-Etc theprimary shaftby a single train of primary driving; gears; in" such manner that 'lhqsaidilaryshafts revolve unidirectionally at relativelmdifferent speeds to eaoh other, a series of toothed gear wheels mounted-loosely on. the respeotive layshafts and means for transmitting motionathrough any one of .said toothed gears or from the; reverseshaft to the secondary shaft.

Further ri- 2. Variable speed gearing comprising in conibination a driving shaft having fast thereon a toothed pinion, a driven shaft co-axial with said driving shaft and having fast thereon a toothed pinion and a toothed gear, a splined portion on said driven shaft, a clutch member slidable on said splined portion and adapted to clutch the said shaft to the driving shaft, a slow speed layshaft parallel to the driving and driven shafts, a toothed gear fast on said slow-speed layshaft and meshing with the pinion on the driving shaft, a toothed pinion loose on said slow-speed layshaft meshing with the toothed gear fast on the driven shaft, a toothed gear loose on the slowspeed layshaft meshing with the toothed pinion fast on the driven shaft, a splined portion on the slow speed layshaft, a clutch member slidable on said splinedportion and adapted to clutch to said layshaft either the pinion or the gear loose thereon, a reverse shaft parallel to the driving and. driven shafts, a toothed gear fast on said reverse shaft and, meshing; with the toothed gear fast on the slow speed laysh aft, a splined por tion on said reverse shaft a toothed pinion slidable on said splined portion and adapted tobe slid into mesh, with the gearfa'st. on the driven shaft, a fast-speed laysh aft paralleltdth'e driving and driven shafts, a toothed" pinion fast on said fast-speed layshaft and meshing with the gear fast on the reverse shaft, a toothed pinion loose on said fast-speed laysha'ft' and meshing with the gear fast on the driven shaft, a toothed gear loose on the fas tspeed.layshaft andmeshing with the pinion fast onYth'e driven shaft, a splined portion on. the fast-speed layshaft, and a clutch member slidable on saidsplinedporftion and adaptedtoclutch to the fa'st-speedlayshaft either the pinion orthe gear loose on said shaft. l

H. WALLIS; 

